Regulatory Radar

REGULATORY RADAR - On July 4, 2018, Hong Kong ruled to grant visas to spouses of gay expatriate workers living in the city. The ruling states that same-sex couples have the same rights to spousal visas as married heterosexual couples.

REGULATORY RADAR - On July 18, 2018, Andrew Wheeler signed his first major regulatory move as acting Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator, rolling back coal ash storage legislation established by the Obama administration in 2015.

REGULATORY RADAR - India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) approved a set of net neutrality rules on July 11, 2018 that protects all Indian citizens’ right to have free and fair access to the internet.

REGULATORY RADAR - San Francisco has become the next city to eliminate plastic straws through legislation passed by the city’s board of supervisors.

REGULATORY RADAR - New Zealand recently became one of the first countries to adopt paid domestic violence leave.

REGULATORY RADAR - On July 30, 2018, the Massachusetts Senate voted unanimously for an environmental bond bill that would allow the state to borrow up to $2.4 billion to protect its coast and communities from storms related to climate change.

REGULATORY RADAR - The Seattle City Council unanimously passed an ordinance that will establish a special panel of workers and employers to create industry standards for the estimated 33,000 domestic workers in the city.

REGULATORY RADAR - California Governor Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 100 this month, which will drive the state to 100 percent clean energy by 2045. SB100 will also speed up the state’s clean energy timeline by setting a new target of 60 percent renewable energy by 2030.

REGULATORY RADAR - President Trump issued an executive order that calls for the Department of Labor and Department of Treasury to look into raising the age when people must start making Required Minimum Distributions, and ways to make it easier for small businesses to offer retirement plans to employees.

REGULATORY RADAR - On August 31, 2018, the California Senate passed a bill 23-12 targeted at reducing the vehicle emissions of ride-hailing companies like Uber or Lyft. The legislation will now be sent to Governor Jerry Brown (D) who can either choose to sign or veto.

REGULATORY RADAR - The Trump administration gave notice to the U.S. Congress of its intent to sign a renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The agreement—signed by Mexico, the United States, and Canada in 1994—allows the import and export of automobiles, manufacturing and retail products without paying tariffs.

REGULATORY RADAR - On September 27, 2018, the House of Representatives passed the Family Savings Act of 2018, which reforms retirement accounts and family-friendly saving accounts to increase flexibility and encourage savings. This bill exempts individuals less than $50,000 across all eligible retirement plans from required minimum distribution rules and repeals the maximum age for contributions to a traditional IRA, which is currently set at age 70 ½. .